norton



(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. L. NORTON, Deod.

B. L. FAmcHILn, Excutor. VESSEL.

No. 473,406. l PatenlApr. 19, 1892. I

FIG Il f-J- n "72 IIHIHHIHIII J (No Model.) i 3 ShetS--Sheet 2.

- P. L. NORTON,' Deod.

B. L. FAmcHILD, Exeeutor. VESSEL.

No. 473,406. P 19, 1892.

(No Mode-1.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. L. NORTON, Deod.

B. L. FAIBcHxLD, Exeoutor.

aeented Apr..19, 1892.

VESSEL FIG we naam PETERS co.. vnormwno., wAsHmmoN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

FRANCIS L. NORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.; BEN L. FAIRCHILD EXECUTOR OF SAIDFRANCIS L. NORTON, DECEASED.

VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,406, datedApril 19,1892. Application tiled .Tnne 14, 1889. Serial No. 314,248. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANCIS LAY NoEToN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Vessels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention has for its object improvements in the construction ofyachts, merchant vessels, and vessels of war, in order to render themsafer, to decrease and minimize the danger of their foundering at seafrom any dainage to their hulls from collision or otherwise, and toincrease their stability, buoyancy, and speed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a vertical longitudinalsection of a passengership embodying my invention. Fig. II is a verticallongitudinal section of a war-ship embodying my invention. Fig. III is atransverse section, on a larger scale, of apassengership constructedwith a double frame and skin terminating at the main deck. Fig. IV is atransverse section of a passenger-ship, showing the double frame andskin extending to the upper deck. Fig. V is a transverse section of thewar-ship, also on a larger scale. Fig. VI is a transverse section of avessel, showing a modification hereinafter described.

In carrying my invention into effect I construct the vessel with twodistinct frames l 2 and with a double skin 3 4f. The space between thesetwo skins or frames for the whole or greater part of the vessels length,commencing from amidships and extending to or toward each end, Isubdivide by means of transverse and longitudinal bulk-heads 5 6,forming thereby a number of separate Watertight cells or compartments 7S. I also construct my vessel With a double bottom 3@ 4, subdivided intonumerous compartments or cells, forming thereby a number ofwater-ballast chambers 9. I also provide my vessel with a center keelsonl0, running from stein to stern and made water-tight in the doublebottomand of suihcient height to support the ioor of the inner bottom 4a. Alliioors I construct solid and water-tight between levery two or moreframes, as may be desirable. All bulk-head plates are properly stitenedand made carefully water-tight, whereby in the event of injury to theouter skin or frames the vessel would, when constructed as hereindescribed, still have a suliicient buoyancy for safety, and these framesand skins or plank- 5 5v The vessel may be constructed upon any 6o modelselected by the designers. The waterballast chambers 9 may be formedwith comparatively narrow arms 9, extending to a greater or lessdistance around the bends of the vessel outside the close air-cells 7,or the said water-ballast chambers may be formed straight across thevessel from .frame to frame,

as illustrated in Fig. VI, without the rising arm 9, as above described.

To render the water-ballast system auto- 7o matic, I provide externalopenings ll in the bottom in line with and close to the keel on eachside. There may be one or more of such longitudinal openings into eachballast-chamber. These openings vary from six to eighteen .75 inches intransverse width, or thereabout, according to the size of the vessel. Iconnect with the top plate of each of the said ballast# chambers anair-pipe l2, which passes up vertically and is connectedwith anair-valve v13, 8o placed above the water-line, for the escape of the airwhich is in the chambers when the water enters, thereby enabling suchballastchambers to immediately receive their waterballast and preventingany reflux of air into the chambers or consequent escape of watertherefrom. The frames and plating forming the top of theseballast-chambers must be made carefully water-tight and of sufficientstrength to support and ioat the vessel. The 9e openings in the bottomsof these ballastchambers are, except in very small vessels, ofsufficient size to be used as man-holes and entered for the purposes ofcleaning and painting.

A vessel so constructed will on being launched into the water receiveher water-ballast through the openings ll into the chambers 9 9;L of herdouble bottom, the air displaced from the chambers 9 escapingthrough Icothe valve-guarded pipes l2, while that which is imprisoned within therising arms 9a is comof torpedoes, as the water lying between the twoskins operates as a cushion for the protection of the inner bottom, evenshould the outer bottom be largely torn or blown out; In constructingpassenger-ships I preferably end the double frame or hull at the maindeck, as shown in Fig. III. This affords ample room in the lower holdfor the carriage of machinery, coal-bunkers, dre., while leaving theentire decked-in space or spaces above the main deck for theaccommodation of passengers and other requirements. In all otherrespects I construct my vessel as shown and delineated in the drawingsor approximately thereto. The essential peculiarities of this form ofconstruction extend only to the double frames and plankings and skins,in combina.

tionwith the cellular bottom and water-ballast chambers.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire' to secure by Letters Patent:

The vessel constructed with the outer skin and the inner skin, the spacebetween the two skins being subdivided by means of transverse andlongitudinal bulk-heads arranged about midships and extending towardeach end, and with the center keelson extending from stem to stern andforming the s'upport for the floor of the inner bottom, the valvedair-pipes communicating with the air-V compartments and the bottomwater-inlets, all constructed and arrangeds'ubstantially as set forth.

FRANCIS L. NORTON.

Witnesses:

OoTAvIUs KNIGHT, EMMA ARTHUR.

